What is an animal with more than one stomach called?

An animal with more than one stomach is called a ruminant. Ruminants are a specific group of mammals that have a unique digestive system adapted for breaking down complex plant materials. This group includes animals such as cows, sheep, and deer, which possess a specialized stomach divided into multiple compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.

This multi-chambered stomach allows ruminants to effectively ferment and digest fibrous plant materials, making it possible for them to extract more nutrients from their diet. The process of fermentation is initiated in the rumen, where microorganisms break down cellulose, a major component of plant cell walls.

In contrast, monogastric animals have a single-chambered stomach and typically have a different digestive process, making them less efficient at digesting fibrous plant material. Carnivores and herbivores refer to dietary classifications based on their primary food sources (meat or plants, respectively) and do not specifically relate to the number of stomach compartments an animal has. Thus, the classification of ruminants effectively indicates animals with a complex stomach structure, making it the right choice in this context.